The subject matter disclosed herein relates generally to fuel distribution manifolds and more particularly to a fuel distribution manifold having a center-body for dividing an inlet stream of fuel for distribution to a plurality of outlets.
An internal combustion engine, such as a gas turbine engine, requires a system for delivering fuel to be combusted within the engine. In one such system, a parent supply line carries a parent stream of fuel from a fuel reservoir to a fuel distribution manifold. The fuel distribution manifold provides fuel to a plurality of offspring fuel lines, each delivering a respective offspring stream of fuel to a respective fuel injector. The injectors are positioned and configured for delivering fuel to desired positions in the engine with a desired set of properties or attributes (e.g., at a desired pressure, temperature, and mass flow rate, at desired times, etc.).
One purpose of a fuel distribution manifold is to receive the parent stream of fuel from the parent supply line and to deliver fuel to each of the offspring fuel lines at a pressure, temperature, and rate of flow that will enable delivery of the fuel to fuel injectors with the appropriate attributes. It is often desirable for the attributes of the fuel entering each of the offspring fuel lines to be approximately equal (e.g., at a uniform or approximately uniform pressure, temperature, etc.).
Experience has shown that as fuel flows through a fuel distribution manifold, heat may be transferred to the fuel, and the extent to which the fuel takes up heat depends upon the local velocity of the fuel. For example, in a location within a fuel distribution manifold where a stream of fuel slows or becomes stagnant or re-circulates rather than continuing to flow through the fuel distribution manifold (i.e., at a secondary recirculation zone), that stream of slowing, stagnating, or re-circulating fuel may effectively reside in a location for receiving heat for a longer period of time, and may therefore receive more heat than if it were to take less time to flow through the fuel distribution manifold (i.e., to flow at a faster rate).
In some situations, the quantity of heat transferred to the fuel may be sufficient to cause carbon deposits to accumulate (i.e., coking) on surfaces of the fuel distribution manifold. Unfortunately, such carbon deposits can occasionally break free and be carried with the fuel so as to lodge in locations where they disrupt the flow of fuel or interfere with the operation of the fuel delivery system. Therefore, it may be desirable to design a fuel distribution manifold in which velocity of the flowing fuel is sufficiently great to avoid coking. Unfortunately, increased flow velocities are known to cause losses in the pressure of the flowing fuel as a result of irreversible dynamic processes such as friction.
Accordingly, those skilled in the art seek a fuel distribution manifold that can deliver fuel to a set of desired locations in accordance with a desired set of attributes while reducing, or better tolerating, coking.